China's property market heats up

Property prices ticked up last month in many Chinese cities, raising the chances of further government action to cool the housing market.

Prices jumped in 54 of the 70 cities tracked by the government in January, according to data released Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics.

The average price change was an increase of 0.6%, the first year-on-year acceleration in 11 months. Compared to the previous month, prices rose 0.5%, which is the fastest rate of growth since January 2011, according to economists at Nomura.

China has gradually eased property ownership restrictions in recent decades, and its citizens have responded by pouring money into housing.

The resulting growth was so red-hot that many analysts feared a bubble was developing. But more recently, China's real estate market had slowed amid government efforts to rein in speculators and control prices.

The measures include higher down payments, tough qualifications for mortgages, residency requirements and limits on investment purchases.